24th July I have been so busy since my last post

Well my journal article was accepted along with a paper  for a conference in  November.  I have just been so busy over the last few weeks  I did not have time to update the blogger. I am going to have to set aside a  few minutes every morning to do it.  I have to head to the UK for a few days as well as have two chapters written before the end of August.  At least I suppose I am doing something.

July 13th Dentist and Haircut Day

I was so busy last week I did not get time to update the blogger. I had a presentation on Friday and it went well. On Tuesdays I got to think a lot about my methodology. The approach I took was classically qualitative. I sent three and a half months on site and carrying out my research. The reason I took this approach was to discover what was really going on. I built up trust and respect with the people I was researching. I believe it was essential and the honesty in there replies reflects that.

Today I need to get a haircut and I have to go to the dentist so I am taking the day off. I need to get my first paper complete and I hope to head in at about 8.30 a.m. tomorrow.

July 7th I am back with a bang

After a break of two weeks I am back. The task of writing up is stretching out before me. The more I think about it the worse I feel. Questions like have I enough research material? Are my findings valid? Will I be able to articulate them? all loom large before me. They seem like insurmountable objects that I will never be able to get over.

I need to focus and just get down and do it. The big question is have I a meaningful contribution to make? At this moment I am full of self-doubt. In some ways I really needed the break, in others it has allowed me to step back and assess what I have achieved and allowed me to ask the question: Really have I achieved anything?

On the positive side I have had an abstract accepted for a conference paper and I have been asked to write an article for a scientific journal. So I suppose I must be doing something right, but it sure does not feel like it. It is at times like this I ask myself why the hell did I ever start doing this. Time will tell if I am wasting my time!!